bear defense question

My wife had our dog loose in the field we have. She spotted a 350/400# black bear at the rear of our land in the tree line. She ran 35' from the bear trying to save our dumb curious lab. She was screaming the whole time. The bear froze at the sound of this crazy woman. I told her your crazy you could of been lunch in four or five steps. I went out side with my 9mm after hearing the screams and spotting the bear out of the window. 9mm? What was I thinking. But he slowly, very boldly walked off.

The first clue was my fruit trees that I raised finally had there first fruit. I never got an Apple, peach or pear. I had 10 or 12 nice pears on one little tree I spotted while mowing the grass. Then there was six left the next time I mowed, the last time I mowed there was none left. My bigger peach trees were wiped out too nada one white peach. He cleaned it all out. I figured it's the deer. But another clue was the deer blocks I put out for the winter. Some walked off the next day. I never seen them again. This should of told me have a resident local bear. I did see cub tracks a few years back. I kept my moultrie deer feeder with whole and cracked corn running all that winter. I don't run it after I seen the full grown cub.
I count up to 9 deer at night and 24 Turkey's the other day go by. No big Bruin yet.
 
I have said it before and I will say it to anyone who will listen. Two words "Bear Spray" I have seen it in use, and recommend it as the only way to change the attitude of a bear without something having to die. That said I am a strong believer in a Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt with Cor Bon or Buffalo Bore solid's, but my thought is to spray first and shoot second.
 
Oh Goodie, a Bear thread!:D;)

Man-shot-dead-for-eating-popcorn-too-loudly.-425x343.jpg
 
No semi autos for me of any kind. I 've had some jam on me during rapid fire. I prefer a large caliber (.44 Magnum) revolver which will fire every time and get "any" job done.

A wheel gun has the simplest action there is for multiple shots- it can't fail.
 
Don ........... :D

Fat or Skinny you can run as fast as you want too not as fast as you can when your scared. Just make sure someone is slower than you. This is no 300# football player coming after the ball. This is a carnivore coming to take a bite out of you.
 
Old slow friend

Here in the Smoky Mountains, we take a more simple approach to Bears. :rolleyes: Anytime we go into the woods we always take a real old friend or a real fat friend. That way if we come across a bear, we only have to outrun our friend. :D :D

Just be sure the old/slow/fat friend doesn't have a gun or cane he can kneecap you with!

Jim in Iowa
 
I don't think this is thread drift...

I don't think this is thread drift because it is about killing bears. I like that scene in 'Jeremiah Johnson' where he finds the man frozen holding his rifle with a note that says, "Whoever finds me can have my rifle. It is a good rifle, it killed the bear that killed me."
 
I don't think this is thread drift because it is about killing bears. I like that scene in 'Jeremiah Johnson' where he finds the man frozen holding his rifle with a note that says, "Whoever finds me can have my rifle. It is a good rifle, it killed the bear that killed me."

i like that part. no such thing as thread drift in a bear thread!
 
I believe Bear Spray is the best way to go, provided one knows how to use it. But people need to remember that these are very large, vicious animals, which can outrun the fastest sprinter, despite crashing through uneven ground. That gives any gunner extremely little opportunity to hit whatever target they may see. And while a 30-06 will fold one that is stalked to, one that has its target /enemy in sight seemingly requires an Army tank to put down. I think that aside from the spray, a 12 gauge with slugs might be the best, hard hitting bet. Easier to aim at lightning fast targets, and easier to fire quickly should the rare opportunity for a follow up shot occur. I don't live in brown bear country, so if it ever did matter I have my .44 mag, aside from either a rifle or shotgun, to protect myself from black bears. Thankfully, in almost 50 years of ''mountaineering'' I haven't needed it.
 
If I were to go hunt grizzly/brown bear in Alaska I'm carrying a rifle with a large bore diameter shooting well constructed projectiles. I want something that will break down those front shoulders. It will be a .338 Win. Mag. or larger.

I do spend a bit of time photographing bears. I always carry bear spray. I've never used it but I know people that have. They say a cloud stops and turns them.

Where I can use a firearm if need be I add a .44 but if a charge comes I'm reaching for the spray and laying down a cloud. The .44 is a last resort. Shooting and being accurate with a handgun when a bear is headed at you at about 30 mph is some mean feat.

So taking photos of these guys.

34374632.Grizmomcub1.jpg


68263689.iVeCUolY.GrizzlyBearDunravenPass10_07_06.jpg


I carry these

153926758.8oQ3K0YP.bearprotection.jpg
 
I have said it before and I will say it to anyone who will listen. Two words "Bear Spray" I have seen it in use, and recommend it as the only way to change the attitude of a bear without something having to die. That said I am a strong believer in a Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt with Cor Bon or Buffalo Bore solid's, but my thought is to spray first and shoot second.

Spray the bear first and shoot yourself second? Seems like the only viable option here if the bear's not dying at the end of this encounter.
 
No semi autos for me of any kind. I 've had some jam on me during rapid fire. I prefer a large caliber (.44 Magnum) revolver which will fire every time and get "any" job done.

A wheel gun has the simplest action there is for multiple shots- it can't fail.
At my level of practice, I think that a Browning Auto-5 is far more reliable than a pump. Some folks with far more experience might reverse that, or at least say it's a tie.

I like a .44 Mag revolver only because I know I'll have it with me. If I were really worried about bear, the Auto-5 with Brenneke slugs would have the watch.
 
No one mentioned Browning's BAR in .338. ??

I'd use a Winchester M-70 or CZ in .375 H&H. Probably with Nosler Partition bullets.

My handgun would be a S&W M-629-3 with six-inch bbl.

I read the article in, Sporting Classics where the doctor in Alaska used a Ruger Super Blackhawk to kill a charging grizzly. And I know about the Norwegian scientist who killed the polar bear with a S&W .44 Magnum, model not stated. Some liberal, National Geographic readers lambasted him in letters. I was disgusted by their attitude. The man would have been killed if he hadn't shot!

Disney and PETA have infected far too many minds re animals.
 
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Brown bear or grizzly bear, if I encounter one of them while in the woods and it's comes charging at me. I am going to stop and I think the bear will stop also cause I just messed in my drawers, and I am sure he don't like the taste of poo. At least I hope he doesn't like poo.
 
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